inFAMOUS Second Son is worth playing if you want a stylish PS4 open-world action game built around superpowers and spectacle. Critics were broadly positive at its March 21, 2014 launch, with a Metacritic Metascore of 80 out of 100. Several reviewers, however, said the gameplay did not fully match the game’s visuals. The PlayStation Store lists it as playable on PS5, with some PS4 features possibly absent.
What the game is and when it came out
Second Son is a PS4-exclusive action-adventure game set in a locked-down Seattle. You play as Delsin Rowe, a superhuman who fights back against the Department of Unified Protection. Sony lists the release date as March 21, 2014.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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INFAMOUS SECOND SON PSH - PS4 | $25.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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inFAMOUS: Second Son Standard Edition (PlayStation 4) | $20.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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inFAMOUS: Second Son Limited Edition (PlayStation 4) | $22.69 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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inFAMOUS: Second Son Limited Edition (PlayStation 4) (Renewed) | $32.14 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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inFAMOUS: Second Son (PS4) | $17.00 | Buy on Amazon |
At launch, Sony confirmed the PS4 game was available both on Blu-ray disc and as a digital download. Neither format is the only way to get it.
Sony’s launch marketing framed the premise this way. Guy Longworth, Senior Vice President of PlayStation Brand Marketing at SCEA, said: “In Second Son you’ll play as Delsin Rowe, a superhuman being who decides that possessing spectacular powers is extraordinarily thrilling.”
#1 Best Overall
Review scores at a glance
The table below separates the 2014 critic record from the live owner rating. They measure different things and are not interchangeable.
| Source | Score | What it measures | Date context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metacritic Metascore | 80/100 | 90 critic reviews: 69 positive, 20 mixed, 1 negative | Launch-era 2014 review record |
| GameSpot | 8/10 | GameSpot’s review score | Launch-era 2014 review |
| Metacritic user score | 8.0 | Average of user scores listed on Metacritic | Not stated in the source |
| US PlayStation Store | 4.63/5 | 136,016 player ratings, from verified owners and evaluated by moderators | Live figure at the time of writing; the count and average change over time |
Metacritic’s 80 is a decade-old aggregate. It tells you how professional critics judged the game at launch, not how it is rated today.
Rank #2
- A New Origin Story: Step into an open world adventure that offers a realistic take on being superhuman
- Choice and Consequence: Witness how the city, the people you encounter, and even the story itself is all affected by the actions you take
- Control Multiple Powers: Draw powers out from other superhumans, creating your own set of distinct powers to use as you see fit
- Freely Explore the City of Seattle featuring highly detailed environments, realistic weather, reflections, shadows and lighting
What critics praised and criticized
Visuals, powers and the new hero
The most consistent praise concerned presentation and the power fantasy. EGM’s positive review, as reproduced on Metacritic, said: “This new-gen installment of the inFAMOUS franchise offers a new hero, a new city, and tons of new powers.” Its praise points to three things: a new protagonist, a new city, and a large set of abilities, alongside open-world gameplay it described as refined.
Gameplay depth relative to presentation
The main criticism was that the gameplay did not keep pace with the look of the game. Quarter to Three, in a review reproduced on Metacritic, said: “Unfortunately the gameplay isn’t up to par with the light show.” Across the excerpts, the recurring question is whether the open-world action had enough substance to match the presentation or stand out. These two excerpts are representative examples, not a full breakdown of every review’s arguments.
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- A New Origin Story: Step into an open world adventure that offers a realistic take on being superhuman
- Choice and Consequence: Witness how the city, the people you encounter, and even the story itself is all affected by the actions you take
- Control Multiple Powers: Draw powers out from other superhumans, creating your own set of distinct powers to use as you see fit
- Freely Explore the City of Seattle featuring highly detailed environments, realistic weather, reflections, shadows and lighting
Player ratings on the PlayStation Store
The US PlayStation Store shows an average of 4.63 out of 5 from 136,016 player ratings. The Store states that its reviews come from verified owners and are evaluated by moderators. Because this figure is live, expect the count and average to shift.
When comparing the two kinds of score, keep these points in mind:
Rank #4
- A New Origin Story: Step into an open world adventure that offers a realistic take on being superhuman
- Choice and Consequence: Witness how the city, the people you encounter, and even the story itself is all affected by the actions you take
- Control Multiple Powers: Draw powers out from other superhumans, creating your own set of distinct powers to use as you see fit
- Freely Explore the City of Seattle featuring highly detailed environments, realistic weather, reflections, shadows and lighting
- The Metacritic 80 reflects professional critics at launch in 2014.
- The 4.63/5 reflects owners who chose to rate the game on the Store, and it updates over time.
- A high owner rating and a moderate critic aggregate can both be accurate; they answer different questions.
Platform and format
Playing on PS4
The game is available on PS4 as a Blu-ray disc or a digital download, as Sony confirmed at launch. Choose the format that suits how you buy games. Disc and digital are both legitimate ways to own it.
Playing on PS5
The PlayStation Store says the game is playable on PS5. Sony cautions that some PS4 features may be absent on PS5. Check the current Store listing for the feature list before you buy if a specific PS4 function matters to you.
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Best Value
- Hijack the powers of other superhumans
- Soar across the Seattle skyline
- Choose how your own story plays out
Who should play it
- Players who want spectacle and a power fantasy. This is where critics were most consistently positive: the new hero, the city, and the range of powers.
- Players who need deep systems. The main reservation in critical reviews was that the gameplay did not fully match the presentation.
- Buyers choosing a format. Blu-ray and digital were both available on PS4 at launch.
- PS5 owners. The game is listed as playable, but confirm which PS4 features are supported before purchase.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
